Christine
by Starrmyst
Summary: Christine made her choice. What happened after Christine left.


**Authors Note: **I do not own _Phantom of the Opera_ or any of it's characters and lyrics. This takes off from the 2004 movie. These are just my thoughts about how it could have happened.

"_Christine....I looooove you!"_

Shaking she placed the ring in his hand, the mere touch of his long fingers sent shivers down her spine. She looked at him once more before turning away hoping that she could forget everything that happened. Focusing on the man who was waiting for her below, Christine tried not to remember those words but they played over and over in her in mind. She thought at that moment that her heart was being ripped out of her chest. She wanted to go to him, to hold him, to kiss him, to sooth him and yet she couldn't. Raoul was waiting. _My love!_ She turned to him...Raoul...His hand stretched out to hers, waiting to take her away from all of the darkness. _To save me!_

Just as she had before, Christine placed her hand in his and in doing so placed her life in his hands_. He knew what was best for me. _He always did. And even though there was a part of her that was drawn to the Phantom she knew that she could not go back. So even though she walked further away from the man who made her the woman she was today, Christine couldn`t turn back. It was sheer madness in the Phantom`s world and she needed to get far away from him. _He had deceived me. He had made me believe he was sent to me from above, from my father. How could he do that to me?! He made me believe that he was my master and I had to follow his words or lose him forever._

Well now it was over. She was no longer that naive little girl who worshipped the Angel of Music. Wiping the tears from her cheeks and without looking back, Christine stepped into the boat; a new life intent on her mind. Raoul was offering her that life. He told her he loved her. She needed no more than that to know that this was real. She stood behind Raoul's arm as he guided the boat out of the gate and down the dark corridor. Keeping her eyes on her love, her childhood love, the man who saved her and protected her and loved her.....loved her enough to risk his life for her. She knew he was going to spend the rest of his days making her the happiest woman alive.

Christine had wanted to be Raoul's wife for so long....there was never any doubt of that. She loved him...She loved him! Her hands clutched Raoul's arm....his taunt muscles effortlessly moving the boat towards theirr freedom. It was finally over! She was finally free.

_**Say you will share one life, one lifetime.**_

She didn't look back. She knew she couldn't. For no matter what her head said about the Phantom, her heart had allowed the Angel of Music to invade the very depths of her soul. She could feel it. She didn't have to look to know of his anguish. She knew that his heart was broken and that his torment would lead him into further despair.

And then she heard it...it was his song, his music ...in her mind she I knew....but Christine could feel it deep within in her heart_. __**You alone can make my song take flight. It's over now the music of the night**__. _Just as she could hear him smashing the mirror into a million pieces, Christine knew that his heart was breaking into more.

_Oh Erik..._

His head in hands, his body racking with sobs. It was over. Once again all he knew was solitude and emptiness. He had no feeling, no sense of acceptance. He had learned to feel as a normal man would. She had made that happen. Now this pain was crushing him and he could slowly feel himself slipping into the blackness once again.

He could hear the mob through the tunnels. They were getting closer. He knew that if he wanted to disappear he needed to go soon. But life was no longer important to him. He would let the mob come take him and end his tortured days of hell. His life was over any way. His Christine had not chosen him. She threw their love away. How could he go on? ``Christine....Christine my angel why? Why did you forsake me!? Oh but to hear your song once more... To look upon your face, to see the love and hope in your eyes.... ``

Shaking his head, he could almost hear her breathing. Her footsteps so light on the stones, surely he was going mad. She was gone, his angel! But her image so engraved in his mind....he could almost imagine that he could see her, there at the top of the stairs. He closed his eyes, losing himself in thoughts of her. "Oh Christine, Christine..."

Then a whisper, "Erik_ "_

His eyes flew open. It was impossible! How could she be there? Surely his madness has made him slip into some alternate reality. She was gone. He had seen her rejoice in her lover`s arms. It was over for him. He must be dreaming....yes. ..dreaming that she was there. He wanted to continue this dream....he had nothing left but this. He decided that he would let this fantasy play out. It was all he had until the mob would reach his lair to take him. Looking through questioning eyes, he could see that his dream had reached the great throne. He wondered what it would have been like had she chosen him and was actually coming towards him. He was imagining that she was there by his side.

``Erik....I am here." she whispered looking at him the way she used to look at him before she knew who he really was.

Her breasts heaving... her cheeks wet from tears.... but her eyes....oh her eyes. They were telling him the very thing he had been waiting to hear all his life. He hoped...he so wanted to believe what his instincts told him but but it could not be true for someone like him. He knew he didn't deserve it. Not after what he had done. ``Oh vision of my dreams , why do you come to torture me as I wait to take my last breath? "

"Angel of Music you have been in my dreams for so long. If you will let me, I am here to be in yours." She finally reached him and took his hand in hers. Her warmth burned through his flesh. He jerked his hand back as though it were on fire. "How could this be?" he wondered aloud. He could not believe that she was real. It had to be a dream.

His confusion led to anger. He turned away from her. Putting his hands to his head he tried to come to grips with the situation. Why would she torture him like this? Why would she come back only to leave once more? He knew she could never be his forever. She had made her choice and he had let her go. He knew that she would play him for a fool once more. She had to be there so she could inflict more pain. He was being punished for all the evil things he had done. He knew that it wasn't going to end the way he wanted it to.

Tilting her head almost as though she had trouble finding the words, she tried to speak, "Erik, God has given me the courage....."

Spinning around, his voice shook with anger. "You don't need courage anymore ...CHRISTINE! For you will not be bound to an eternity of this haunted face. You made your choice. You have you precious vicomte. " Disgusted he shook his head and collapsed in the chair. His eyes focused n the flickering of a candle in the distance. After a few moments he sighed heavily. He knew had to get away from her. ``I have released you...Go now. Leave me alone. Go before they find you. "

She stood still looking at him. Watching as his shoulders slumped and his head dropped down, she could see that he was now focussing his attention on the ring in his hand. Even now in the darkened rooms it glittered and flickered in the candle light. Cruelly he smirked at her, "Or perhaps, he has sent you back to take this for your wedding. Well take it and go. I never wanted his ring anyway. I only ever wanted you." He threw it down at her feet. She knew he was trying to be cruel and it was working.

"Go now. Forgot all you've seen. Forgot all about me. Go now, Go now and Leave me! "He cried out. Jumping to his feet he stomped over to her grabbing her by the arms, shaking her....."Get out!"

His fingers dug into her skin and tears welled up in her eyes. What horror had he lived that he could not see what was directly in front of him, staring at him, aching for him. Christine reached up to cup his face in her hands.

Her hands shaking along with her voice, she sang softly, "_**Say you will share with me one love, one lifetime save me from my solitude. "**_

He dropped down to his knees...a look of horror on his face, tears falling off the tortured folds of his flesh..._**"Say you love me, every waking moment, turn my head with talk of summertime. Say you need me with you now and always, promise me that all you say is true, that's all I ask of you.**__ "_

Hesitantly he wanted to believe her. He needed to believe her. Could she truly want this madman? A man who killed and tortured and kept her a prisioner of his mind. She stood before him. Her hands gently wiping the tears from his eyes_**. **__**Say you need me with you here beside you, Anywhere you go; let me go too, Erik that's all I ask of you" . **_

Could he let her ? And yet how could he think to let her go?__His arms encircled her waist...and he clung to her as though she were going to disappear. Christine held his head in her arms. Slowly he raised himself from the floor, his body never leaving contact with his beautiful Christine; the heat between them searing into his heart. They held each other for what seemed like an eternity. His hands caressing her, stroking her and she feeling his heart beating beneath her own. He placed a finger under her chin to lift her eyes up to his. She shivered looking into the depths of his soul for she could see the madness of his love...for her. "Christine?"

Smiling she placed both hands on his cheeks, His molten flesh springing alive beneath her gentle caresses. "My love, my love. Please forgive me. My soul was weak. How could I let you go...You have been there from the beginning. You have made my music take wings....my love take flight. You have awaken in me the woman who never lived before"....reaching down to take his hands she leaned her back against his chest and wrapped his arms around her....moving them over her body...she closed her eyes, leaned her head back and moaned." "Your hands, your music it caressed me and stirred passionately and sweetly and deeply."

No more than a whisper, she heard him say " What if..."

Turning back to him, she took his hand in hers. " The "what if's" will keep you from living in the present. We don't know what will happen in the future but today I stand before you ready for us to become one. No second thoughts, I've decided. You have taken my mind and my heart so many years ago and now I give you my soul, my love".

He hesitated just a moment before he bent down and placed his lips on hers. Little by little the edge of darkness melted from him as he finally began to feel alive again. He shivered beneath her lips and slowly their lips became one. Shaking he pulled back. "Will you let me love you for the rest of my life? _**Wherever you go, let me go too."**_ Smiling she took his hand and pulled him towards the tunnel through the mirror.

He stopped just before it, taking her in his arms. They looked around at his home, a home they had shared so briefly, so intensely. Could he finally leave the darkness? Could he say goodbye to a place that held all of his secrets? His treasures? His life's work? Smiling down at Christine he knew_**. "**__**Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime, say the word and I will follow you. Share each day with me each night each morning. Say you love me, Love me that's all I ask of you". **_

The sounds of their music trickling off in the distance. By the time the mob had reached the lair, Christine and Erik had vanished into the night....to finally begin to live.


End file.
